Roman magicians, Pliny the Elder reported, claimed bloodstone could make its wearer invisible, and he called it their most blatant effrontery. He also wrote that in a bowl of water under the sun it threw back a blood-red light, and out of the water it worked as a mirror for watching eclipses. Thirteen centuries later, Boccaccio's Decameron was still laughing at a man who hunted a riverbed for it, sure it would make him vanish.
In crystal work, the bloodstone meaning is courage under pressure, the old warrior's stone in dark green and red. Two stones are sold under the name, classic and African bloodstone, and one detail in the green, cloudy grey patches, points to the African kind.
Bloodstone quick facts
- Chakra: Root, heart
- Zodiac: Aries, Pisces, Libra
- Element: Earth
- Birthstone: March, alongside aquamarine
- Also called: Heliotrope, the martyr's stone
- Color: Dark green with red spots, sometimes with grey or yellow
- Hardness: 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale
- Commonly from: India, Brazil, South Africa (African bloodstone)
- Pairs with: carnelian, smoky quartz, moss agate
Nerve, endurance and a cool head
Nerve. Roman soldiers wore bloodstone into battle, and it has kept its name as a warrior's stone, for courage when it matters.
Endurance. Its red on deep green is read as staying power of the patient kind, the will to keep going through a long season.
Composure. Bloodstone is also a grounding stone, chosen for keeping calm under pressure instead of rushing in.
A medieval Christian legend gives the red spots their story: drops of Christ's blood falling on green stone at the foot of the cross, which is why bloodstone became known as the martyr's stone. In the Scottish Highlands, a different folk story tied it to the northern lights.
Grounded at the root, open at the heart
Bloodstone belongs to the root chakra, for grounding and strength, and the heart chakra, for its deep green. It is a March birthstone, which links it to Pisces and Aries, and in the tropical zodiac it is Aries' stone. Its element is earth.
From the starting line to the night shift
- In a pocket on game day or before a competition
- On a desk through a long, demanding project
- By the bed during a season that's asking a lot of you
- In meditation, held low for a grounded, steady feeling
- As a gift for a March birthday
- In a car or bag for long drives and early starts
Steady breath, steady stone. Before a moment that takes nerve, hold your bloodstone and breathe in for four counts, hold for four and out for four. Rest your eyes on one red spot as you go, and stop after four rounds.
Classic or African? Look for grey clouds
| Classic bloodstone (heliotrope) | African bloodstone | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Green chalcedony or jasper with red hematite | Red jasper, grey chalcedony and pyrite |
| Main source | India's Deccan Traps | South Africa |
| Look | Dark green with red spots | Green with red spots and pale blue-grey clouds |
Pale blue-grey clouds in the green, like those on our tower, point to African bloodstone. Classic bloodstone keeps to dark green and red.
A tower and a palm stone
Our African bloodstone tower carries its red spots and grey clouds all the way up to the point. The African bloodstone palm stone is the same stone shaped smooth for the hand, easy to carry on a long day.
A smoky quartz palm stone makes a quiet partner for it, another grounding stone in see-through brown, and the smoky quartz guide goes deeper. For a red with more fire, read about carnelian, and for a softer green, moss agate.
The root chakra crystals collection has more stones for steady strength.
Caring for bloodstone
At 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, bloodstone is tough and handles everyday life well. Rinse it in lukewarm water and dry it right away, since African bloodstone can contain pyrite. It's fine in sunlight. Store it apart from softer stones it might scratch. To cleanse it, run it under a cool tap for a minute or set it on a sunny windowsill for an afternoon. Quick care facts for every stone we carry are in our crystal care chart. Every crystal in our shop is smudged with sage and charged in the moonlight before it ships.
Bloodstone FAQ
Is bloodstone a jasper or a quartz?
Both. Classic bloodstone is a form of quartz, either opaque jasper or translucent chalcedony, with red spots of hematite.
Is bloodstone a March birthstone?
Yes. It's one of March's birthstones, alongside aquamarine.
Is bloodstone in the Bible?
Not by name. Revelation lists jasper among the stones of the New Jerusalem, and the story of Christ's blood on the stone is a medieval Christian legend, which is why bloodstone was called the martyr's stone.
Is bloodstone rare or valuable?
No. Both classic and African bloodstone are widely available and affordable.
Is bloodstone water safe?
Yes. Rinse it and dry it right away.
Can you wear bloodstone on your wrist?
Yes. A bloodstone bracelet keeps a warrior's stone at hand all day, and at 6.5 to 7 its beads shrug off most knocks.
Green quartz and red iron
Classic bloodstone is a cryptocrystalline quartz, made of crystals too small to see, colored dark green by tiny inclusions of other minerals and spotted red where hematite, iron oxide, collected. Most of it comes from the Deccan Traps of India, a vast plateau of ancient lava. African bloodstone, sometimes called setonite, comes from South Africa and mixes red jasper, grey chalcedony and pyrite, which is why it looks so similar and yet carries those cloudy grey patches.
Each piece we sell is one of a kind, and the one pictured is the one you'll receive.